Some business applications are designed to receive and process input relating to matters at various physical locations. For example, in the area of supply chain management (SCM), manufacturing, storage and/or transportation of products can be managed using a business system. For example, users at various positions in the supply chain can forward data relating to some aspect of the SCM and this information can be gathered by the business system and used for one or more purposes, such as to confirm that a product will be ready or delivered on time, or to make alternative arrangements when a delay occurs or is expected.
Mobile devices exist that can communicate with central computer systems over wide areas using any of multiple available wireless forms of communication. Typically, a client application for the mobile device will be developed to interact with a business system, either directly or via middleware. If the business system requires complex and sophisticated functionality by the mobile device, the client application may need to be very extensive and can occupy significant memory space on the mobile device. Moreover, to use more than one type or platform of mobile device the business may need to develop the client application separately for each type/platform. Replication and synchronization between business system and mobile devices typically require 3-tier architecture with complex middleware between the device and a business system.